Habitat Restoration Projects

Niagara River Riparian Restoration Program

The residents who live at the water’s edge along the Niagara and its tributaries have the opportunity to serve as stewards of the local environment, ecologically restoring their riparian lands and serving as models to others in the community. While many riparian landowners appreciate their access to water and are interested in restoring the environment, they may lack the technical assistance required to increase the ecological integrity of their property. To address this gap between willing landowners and the required resources for on-the-ground restoration, the Niagara River Riparian Restoration Program coordinates with them to develop forest buffers and other habitat features such as rain gardens, small-scale soft shoreline stabilization, meadows, and wetlands on their property. In the Spring of 2012, Riverkeeper offered workshops to private owners. Please click here for additional information.

Habitat Restoration at Seneca Bluffs

In 2010, Riverkeeper received a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to complete habitat restoration at Seneca Bluffs Park in Buffalo. Managing invasive species, replating native vegetation and trees, installation of bioengineering methods to stabilize eroding riverbanks in selected areas and the development of a long-term habitat restoration management plan will be completed. For more information about this project click here.

Habitat Restoration and Design at RiverBend

Riverkeeper received grant funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 to complete a 2,800 linear foot/ 6.3 acre riparian habitat restoration project on a former brownfield site along the Buffalo River, known as the Riverbend Commerce Park property. The project will include the detailed engineering, design and implementation of riverbank enhancements, planting native trees and shrubs and completing invasive species removal. For more information about this project, click here.

Oxbow Wetland Restoration

In 2008, Riverkeeper received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to protect and restore an oxbow wetland along Buffalo Creek in the Town of West Seneca. This project led to the development of a Habitat Restoration and Management Plan for the site, invasive plant species management, and the planting of native plants on the site. Please click here for additional information.